Concrete block stacking machine



Feb. 14, 1967 P TH ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INVENTORS PAUL M. THOMAS LAWRENCE w WRIGHT BY RUSSELL w BURGE EUGENE E. C2LE Feb. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INVENTORS M THOMAS PAUL LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT RUSSELL W. BURGE EUGENE E. CRILE mwm on n m wm P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942 CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 14, 1967 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 Feb. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS PAU L M THOMAS LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT BY RUSSEL W. BURGE EUGENE E. CRILE Feb. 14, 1967 P M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,941?

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORfi PAUL M. THOMAS LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT BY RUSSEL W. BURGE EUGENE ECRILE 1957 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 o I: O we INVENTORS PAUL M. THOMAS LAWRENCEW. WRIGHT Y RUSSELL W. SURGE EUGENE E. CRILE Feb. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INVENTORS M. THOMAS LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT RUSSEL W. BURGE EUGENE E.C

PAUL

Fish. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INVENTORS PAUL M. THOMAS LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT BY RUSSEL W. BURGE EUGENE E. C LE Feb. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS PAUL M. THOMAS LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT BY RUSSEL W. SURGE EUGENE E. CRIL W147? W Feb. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INvENToRs' PAUL M. moms LARENCE w wmem RUSSEL w. BURGE EUGENE E. emu:

Feb. 14, 1967 P. M.THOMA$ ETAL CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 mhm M T m m S N E WE V m Um W T C MW NLE Lfimg UWSG mmmw Y B M Feb. 14, 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets$heet 12 PAUL M. THOMAS 1 LAWRENCE w. WRIGHT I BY RUSSEL w. BURGE EUGENE E. CR". (Isl j fi 1967 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 A ylg l eetsheet 13 I NVENTORS PAUL M. THOMAS BY LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT RUSSEL W. BURGE EUGENE E. CR 1 4 1 1 7 P. M.THOMAS ETAL 3,303,942

CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 M novA.c

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CONCRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1964 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 {Fi l ;;a Lg 5 U ,7. 52: 529 V BL. DN INTERLOCK figs? I F CR9 U L814 fsez V 565 Z? 580 H 5 2 F 7/u5s5 8 G E 7' 594 U I CR5 )O 6 V CR4 one HIO---4 v 575 606 l N I l l; I F

/6|O Sim L U l NVENTORS PAUL M. THOMAS LAWRENCE W. WRIGHT RUSSEL W. BURGE EUGENE ECFHLE Feb. 14, 1967 Filed Feb. 19, 1964 P. M. THOMAS ETAL 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 HGIB [ 360 55B 358 /CUBE ROTATE CUBE EJECT 5% /306 PALLET LIFT m E 536 PALLET INJECT {as I88 s| |0me DECK |32 PusHER#3 @485 45o LW 92 so it I I I 2 -PUSHER 2 475 a 4e? C%i 445V 79 PUSHER I TURN INVENTORS EUGENE E United States Patent 3,393,942 C(PN CRETE BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Paul M. Thomas, 5630 E. Edgewood Road, Phoenix, Ariz.,

and Lawrence W. Wright, Scottsdale, Russell W. Burge,

Glendale, and Eugene E. Crile, Phoenix, Ariz.; said Burge, Wright, and Crile assignors to said Thomas Filed Feb. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 345,956 23 Claims. (Cl. 2146) This invention relates to a concrete block cubing ma chine, and, more particularly, to a concrete block cubing machine having means for selectively rotating concrete blocks substantially 90 degrees about a horizontal axis, said rotation being from a position in which the blocks are produced and cured to a position rotated substantially 90 degrees whereupon the normal core openings in the blocks are open horizontally to provide a lower layer of concrete blocks having their cored openings disposed in alignment with each other and in horizontal position so that the lowermost layer may be impaled by forks of a conventional lift truck for handling the cubes of blocks stacked above the said lowermost layer in order to dispense with the palletizing of the cubes of blocks, thus, stacked.

In the production of concrete blocks the industry has employed substantially automatic machines which produce concrete blocks on pallets around vertical core structures so that when the blocks are delivered from the machine they are in green condition and rest on the pal lets with their core openings disposed vertically. The pallets carrying such green blocks are then either placed in racks or on conveyors and are either cured in steam curing rooms or may be cured under normal ambient conditions if desired. The blocks when cured are usually stacked or arranged in cubical or rectangular stacks so that a lift truck may handle a great number of these blocks all at one time.

In the past most of the stacking and cubing has been done by hand, and some machines have been developed for the purpose of stacking concrete blocks into a substantially rectangular stack.

While there are many types of concrete blocks, some of them must be stacked on pallets due to the fact that they do not have core openings sufficiently large to receive the forks of lift trucks, consequently, these concrete blocks must be placed on pallets. However, some of the standard building blocks, commonly known as 8" x 4" x 16 or 8" x 8" X 16" or any other similar blocks having fairly large core openings may be used with their core openings disposed horizontally and forming the lowermost layer of a cube or stack of blocks so that forks of a conventional fork lift truck may impale the lowermost layer of the blocks by forcing the forks through the core openings of such blocks and thereby picking up the cube of blocks. In this manner a large cube or rectangular stack of blocks may be carried about or loaded onto the trucks, if desired, and the blocks may also be unloaded from trucks in this manner at various building sites.

It has been a problem to produce a simple, economical and reliable machine which may be used selectively to rotate concrete blocks from a position in which their cored openings are vertically disposed to a position in which their cored openings are horizontally disposed in order to form a lowermost layer of a rectangular or cubical stack of blocks so that when the stack of blocks is removed from the cubing machine the lowermost layer will be disposed with the cored openings of the blocks horizontally aligned to receive the forks of a fork lift truck. Thus,

many conventional blocks may be stacked for transport 7 Without the necessity of using a pallet under the cube or stack of blocks. Additionally, it has been a problem to Patented Feb. 14, 1967 'ice provide a machine which is versatile in operation for handling various size blocks, and either stacking them in a rectangular stack or cube on pallets or without pallets, and further to rotate some of the blocks about a horizontal axis to dispose the lowermost layer of 'blocks in a stack so that their cored openings will be horizontally aligned to receive forks of conventional lift trucks.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to to provide a concrete block cubing machine having very simple and reliable means for stacking concrete blocks in a rectangular stack or cube and to rotate the first or lowermost layer of the blocks from a position in which their cored openings are vertically disposed to a position in which their cored openings are horizontally disposed and aligned to receive the handling forks of a conventional lift truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and reliable concrete block cubing machine which is readily adapted for use in stacking or cubing concrete blocks, either on a pallet or without a pallet, wherein the lowermost layer of blocks when without a pallet is disposed such that the cored openings in the blocks are aligned horizontally to receive the forks of a conventional lift truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel concrete block cubing machine which is capable of rotating blocks about a horizontal axis after being received from a conveyor and before being placed in a rectangular stack or cube, said machine also being capable of handling various sized blocks and thicknesses of blocks in the same horizontal axis rotating mechanism without manual adjustment or change.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine which is capable of handling and stacking or cubing a great number of concrete blocks within a given length of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine which may very readily and easily be adapted for use in stacking or cubing articles other than concrete blocks when it is desired to receive such articles from a conveyor and rotate them about a horizontal axis preliminary to the placement of the articles in a rectangular stack or cube assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine having a novel horizontal axis rotating means for rotating blocks substantially degrees about a horizontal axis from a position in which their cored openings are vertical to a position in which their cored openings are horizontal, and also to provide novel means for controlling the operation of such machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine having an elevator disposed to be movable vertically in increments equal to the dimensions of concrete blocks and to receive superimposed layers of concrete blocks, one upon the other, and wherein novel means is provided for controlling the vertical movement of the elevator with relation to the means of the machine for depositing layers of concrete blocks, one upon the other, in superimposed relationship on said conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine utilizing a novel time delay control system for initiating operation of a vertically movable elevator after a block layer depositing plate has deposited a layer of blocks on the elevator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine having a novel block cube or stack receiving elevator operable in vertical increments equal to the dimensions of the blocks, and wherein photo electric means is utilized to control vertical movement of the elevator with relation to the diposition of layers of concrete blocks on the elevator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block cubing machine having a novel cooperative arrangement between pallet magazine mechanism comprising a pallet feed operable from the bottom of a stack of pallets in the magazine and an elevator disposed to receive the pallets and to load blocks on the pallets and to deliver the pallets with a rectangular stack or cube of blocks thereon.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specifications, appended claims and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a concrete block cubing machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top or plan view of the machine taken from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the invention taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the machine taken from the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of block turning mechanism of the machine operable on a horizontal axis for turning blocks substantially ninety degrees from a position as received from a conveyor to a position in which the blocks will be disposed in a cube;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken from the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken from the line 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken from the line 9-9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the right hand end of the machine, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, and showing portions broken away and in section to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 11 is a view of a modified structure of the elevator of the machine of the invention showing a rotatable platform mechanism for the elevator pivotally operable and movable about a vertical axis;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken from the line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a plan View of a modified structure of the present invention showing a conveyor, a conveyor unloader and a modified block turning device operable on a horizontal axis to turn blocks substantially ninety degrees from a position as received by the conveyor to a position in which the blocks will be disposed in stacks or cubes;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 14-14 of FIG. '13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of ths modified 'block turning mechanism taken from the line 15-15 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 16-16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged plan view taken from line 17-17 of FIG. 4 showing a cube ejecting mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 17 and taken from line 18-18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the electrical equipment of the machine of the invention;

FIG. 20 is a continuation of the disclosure of the electrical equipment of the machine, as shown as FIG. 17; and

FIG. 21 is a diagrammatic view of the pressure fluid cylinder actuator mechanisms of the machine together with the related solenoid control valves and a pressure fluid supply.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, the concrete block cubing machine of the invention is provided with a horizontal roller platform which receives concrete blocks A from a conveyor 52 moving the blocks in the direction of an arrow B, shown best in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The blocks, when carried on the conveyor 52, are in a position wherein their core openings C are disposed vertically. The conveyor 52 is a belt type conveyor of endless form, or any other suitable conveyor which will deliver the blocks A onto the roller platform 51 which consists of a plurality of closely spaced rollers having their axes horizontally and the rollers being disposed in such a manner that their peripheries are substantially on a horizontal plane with the upper surface of the conveyor 52.

The rollers of the platform 54) are designated 54, and, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, they are provided with axles 56 mounted on frame elements 58 of the main frame 60 of the machine. Thus, the roller platform 54 is a stationary platform disposed to provide a minimum of resistance to the receiving of the blocks from the conveyor 52.

Adjacent ends 62 of the rollers 54 is a platform 64 having an upper surface disposed on a plane of the upper peripheral portions of the rollers 54, this platform 64 being shown in FIGURES 2, 6 and 7 of the drawings.

Disposed above the roller platform 50 and the platform 64 is a frame structure 66 supporting guide rods 68 which are axially horizontal. Slidably mounted on these guide rods 68 are slide bearings 70 carrying a substantially vertical pusher plate 72 which is provided with a lower edge 74 barely clearing the upper peripheries of the platform rollers 54 and the upper surface of the platform 64. This pusher 72 is connected by means of a pin 76 to the plunger 78 of an actuating cylinder carried by an out bored portion 89 of the frame structure 66. Thus the pusher plate 72 is disposed to force blocks A from the roller platform 54 axially of the rollers and onto the upper surface of the platform plate 64 which is supported by a stationary portion 82 of the main frame 60. It will be seen that each block A, as shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings, is received on the conveyor 52 in a position wherein the cored opening C is aligned with a vertical axis D, all as shown best in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

Disposed at right angles to the guide rods 68 are further guide rods 34 on which slide bearings 86 are reciprocally mounted. These slide bearings 86 support a pusher plate 88 which is coupled to a plunger 90 of a pressure fluid cylinder 92 anchored by a pin 94 to the frame element 82 of the main frame. The guide rods 84 and cylinder 92 are axially disposed substantially at right angles to the guide rods 68, and the respective actuating cylinder plunger 7 3 hereinbefore described.

The pusher plate 88 is disposed to slide concrete blocks from the platform 64 onto a horizontal axis block turning mechanism 96, shown best in FIGURES l, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings. This block turning mechanism 96 is provided with frame structures 98 and 100 forming part of the main frame 60. These frame structures 98 and 100 carry respective ring bearing supports 102 and 104 on which annular rows of roller bearings 106 and 108 respectively are mounted. Internally of these annular rows of rollers 106 and 108 respectively are rotatable hear ing rings 110 and 112 respectively having their periphcries held captive and rotatably mounted in the annular rows of the bearings 106 and 108 respectively.

Fixed to the rings 110 and 112 are channel members, or other suitable frame elements, 114 and 116 respectively. These members 114 and 116 may be are welded or otherwise secured to the bearing rings 110 and 112, and support complemental frame members 118 and 120 forming a substantially rectangular frame which carries guide rods 122 and 124 having slide bearings 126 and 123 slidable longitudinally thereof.

Supported on these slide bearings 124 and 126 is an L-shaped plate structure 128 to which an arm 130 is fixed and connected to a plunger 132 of a fluid pressure cylinder 134 by means of a bolt 136. The pressure fluid cylinder 134 is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 138 to clevis structure 14% carried by the frame element 118.

A plate 142, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, is fixed to the rings 110 and 112 and is disposed to be rotated into alignment with and on a common plane with the platform 64 so that the pusher 88 may slide blocks directly from the platform 64 onto the upper surface of the plate 142.

Fixed to the plate 142 at an extended portion 144 thereof is a trunnion 146 engaged by a bearing 148 on a plunger 15% of a pressure fluid cylinder 152 pivotally mounted on a pin secured to a stationary element 156 of the main frame 61 of the machine. The pressure fluid cylinder 152 is thus capable of extending and retracting its plunger 150 to rotate the rings 110 and 112 and the plate 142 together with the entire mechanism 96 about a horizontal axis concentric with the rings 110 and 112. In this manner, the rings 110 and 112, plate 142, L-shaped plate 128 and the frame members 114, 116, 118 and 12%) together with the cylinder 134 all rotate about a horizontal axis concentric with the rings 110 and 112. Thus, the frame composed of the elements 114, 116, 113 and 125 may be positioned in a horizontal disposition as shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, or may be disposed vertically as shown in FIGURE 9 of the drawings, and concrete blocks may be pushed by the pusher 83 from the plate 64 onto the plate 142 as shown in FIGURE 7 of the drawings, or they may be pushed onto a side 158 of the L-shaped plate structure 128 as shown in FIGURE 9 of the drawings. It will be seen that when blocks are received on the plate portion 153, as shown in FIGURE 9 of the drawings, that the blocks are slid by the pusher 88 from the platform plate 64 and that the blocks on the plate 158 are in the same position as received on the conveyor 52 by the roller platform 51). With actuation of the pressure fluid cylinder 152 to extend its plunger 159, the bearing rings 110 and 112 may be rotated in a direction of an arrow E, shown in FIG- URE 9 of the drawings, to a position as shown in FIG- URE 8 of the drawings to thereby place a concrete block in such position that the cored openings C are in a horizontal position whereby operation of the pressure fluid cylinder 134 to retract its plunger 132 will move the plate 158 and the concrete block thereon into a position upon a slide plate 160 which is provided for depositing layers of concrete blocks on a vertical elevator of the machine as wi l be hereinafter described in detail.

When the machine of the invention is utilized to stack concrete blocks in rectangular stacks or cubes, and when the blocks A, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, are of the type having the cored openings C, it is not necessary to employ a pallet since a lowermost layer of blocks in a cube, as will be hereinafter described, may be dis posed with the cored openings horizontally, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, ultimately to receive the forks of a conventional fork lift truck for handling the cube of blocks as desired. Accordingly, it will be seen that when the pusher 38 pushes the blocks from the platform plate 64 onto the plate 158 in the position as shown in FIGURE 9 of the drawings, that the plate may be rotated by operation of the cylinder 152, as hereinbefore described, into such position that the plate 158, as shown in FIGURE 8 of the drawings, carries the blocks to a position in which their cored openings C are horizontally disposed, as shown in FIGURE 3, and thus a lower layer of blocks may be formed as hereinbefore described.

Subsequent layers of blocks may be transferred to a position on top of the blocks, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, without rotating them and in this position the blocks may be received from the platform 64 directly onto the plate 142, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawings, and subsequently pushed off onto a slide plate 169 which loads layers of blocks onto an elevator in the position of the blocks as shown in FIG- URE 3 of the drawings.

The blocks either in a vertical core opening position or in a horizontal core opening position adjacent the plates 142 or 158, respectively, may be moved off the plate 142 in the direction of an arrow F, as shown in FIGURE 8 of the drawings, by actuation of the pressure fluid cylinder 134 to retract its plunger 132 and the arm 130 together with the plate assembly 128 and to move it toward the slide plate 160 to slide the blocks A from the plate 142 onto the slide plate 160 either when the blocks are disposed adjacent the plate 158 with their cored openings horizontally, or in a position on the plate 142 with their cored openings vertically. Accordingly, the rotating assembly or block turning assembly 96 may be used to rotate blocks 90 degrees about a horizontal axis only to form a first or lowermost layer of a cube of blocks and then subsequently the turning assembly 96 may not be rotated to load the remainder of the cube of blocks onto the slide plate 160 for transferring the layers of blocks onto a stack carried by the elevator of the invention, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

The slide plate 160, as shown in FIGURE 8 of the drawings, is also disclosed in FIGURES 1, 2 and 9 of the drawings. This slide plate 160 is a substantially horizontal flat plate substantially coextensive in width with the length of the plates 142 and 128. Opposite edges of the slide plate 160 are provided with vertical flanges 162 and 164 integral with horizontal flanges 166 and 168.

These flanges 166 and 168 are carried respectively by rollers 170 and 172 rotatably mounted on horizontal frame members 174 and 176 respectively of the main frame of the machine. The slide plate 161 is provided with a receiving edge 178 disposed to be actuated into position adjacent the plate 142 at its edge 180, and'the slide plate 169 is disposed to be retracted away from the edge 180 by means of plungers 182 and 184 of pressure fluid cylinders 186 and 188 respectively. The pressure cylinders 186 and 188 are pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine by pins 199 and 192 and the plungers 182 and 184 are connected to upstanding bearing plates 194 and 196 fixed to the horizontal flanges 166 and 168 of the slide plate 161).

Extending across the slide plate 160 and located thereabove is a screed bar 198 which is supported by -a stationary cross member 200 of the main frame 60. This screed bar 198 is disposed to be engaged by a layer of blocks to hold them stationarily with respect to the frame 66 of the machine so that the slide plate 160 may be retracted from beneath the layer of blocks when this layer is held stati0nary by the screed bar 198, and when the slide plate is thus retracted the layer of blocks may be dropped onto an upper surface 202 of a pallet structure 294 or, in the absence of the pallet, the layer of blocks may be directly dropped onto an upper surface 206 of a platform 208 of an elevator generally designated 21% in the drawings. The platform 268 is supported in cantilever fashion from carriage frames 212 and 214 having rollers which traverse vertical frame tracks 216 and 213, respectively. The carriage plates 212 and 214 are similar, therefore, the carriage plate 212 will be described herein in detail. This plate 212 is provided with a pair of rollers 2211 running on a track 222 at one vertical side of the structure 216, and the plate 212 is provided with another pair of rollers 224- iunning on a vertical track 226 opposed to the track 222, thereby maintaining the platform 208 in horizontal cantilever position. The vertical track structures 216 and 218 are rigidly connected to a frame base structure 228 comprising a pair of spaced box sections 230 and 232 which are below the track structures 216 and 218.

A bar 234 interconnects the plates 212 and 214, as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, and connected to this bar 234 is a chain connection 236 connecting one end of a chain 238 to the elevator platform of the invention, while another chain fixture 240 fixed to the bar 234 connects the opposite end of the chain 238 to the elevator platform.

Vertical extensions of the track frame structures 216 and 218 are connected at their upper ends to a cross member 242 on which a sprocket 244 is rotatably mounted.

The chain 238 passes over this sprocket 244 and also over another sprocket 245 near the lower end of the machine, this sprocket 246 being carried by an output shaft 248 of a reduction gear box 250 driven by a motor 252 which is equipped with a conventional electric break for positively controlling operation of the elevator of the invention.

The upper surface 206 of the platform 208 of the elevator 210 is provided with article supporting rollers 254 rotatable on horizontal axes and disposed substantially parallel with the rollers 54 and at substantially right angles to the horizontal rotating axis of the block turning mechanism, shown in FIG. 5, in which the horizontal axis is concentric with the bearing rings 110 and 112. Thus, the rollers 254 forming the upper surface 206 of the platform 208 are disposed to receive concrete blocks thereon, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, or may support a pallet 204 thereon, as shown best in FIG. 9 of the drawings.

The peripheries of the rollers 254 at the upper surface 206 of the platform 208 are disposed on a substantially common plane with the upper peripheries of rollers 256 of a stationary cube receiving conveyor 258, shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, when the platform 208 is in its lowermost position, as will be hereinafter described. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the platform 208 may be disposed at a level in which the upper surfaces of the rollers 254 are in a common plane with the upper surfaces of the rollers 256.

Adjacent to the platform area 208, but normally straddled by the plates 212 and 214 which support the platform 208 is a pusher bar 260. This pusher bar 260 is, thus, located between the plates 214 and 212 when the elevator is in its lowermost position and the pusher 260 is located between the plates 212 and 214 and a rearmost roller 262 of the rollers 254. In this manner, the platform 208 is able to move past the pusher 260 and downwardly into a position, as hereinbefore described, which is normally below the pusher 260 so that it may push a cube of blocks off from the rollers 254 on the platform 208 and onto the rollers 256 on the platform 258.

Coupled to the pusher bar 260 is a plunger 264 of a pressure fluid cylinder 265 which is supported by a bracket 268 in connection with the main frame and also, this cylinder is supported by a pivot pin 270 stationarily connected to the main frame.

Also, connected to the pusher 260 is a control rod 272 which extends through a stationary tube 274. This rod 272 when extended relative to the tube 274 passes a slot 276 in the side wall of the tube 274 and permits a roller 278 of a limit switch to move inwardly through the slot 276. Likewise, another roller 280 of a limit switch is operable when the end 282 of the rod 272 is extended from the open end 284 of the tube 274, as will be hereinafter described in detail. Thus, the control .rod 272 and the rollers 278 and 280 operate limit switches at the extended and retracted positions of the pusher 260 and respective extended and retracted posit-ions of the plunger 264 of the pressure fluid cylinder 266. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, extension of the plunger 264 may carry the pusher 266 to a broken line position, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, which is adjacent to the conveyor 258 for removing a cube of blocks from the platform 208 and placing said cube on the conveyor 258, as hereinbefore described.

While in some instances, blocks C, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, may not require a pallet thereunder, as hereinbefore described. Some blocks which may be cubed by the machine of the invention do not have cord openings therein and consequently require a pallet thereunder so that forks of a conventional lift truck may handle such cubes which do not have the cord openings of the blocks, as shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, a pallet magazine 28d, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10 of the drawings, is provided for use in storing pallets for delivery to a position onto the rollers 254 of the carriage 208 following each delivery of a cube of blocks on a pallet and onto the conveyor 258. The magazine 286 is a generally rectangular structure having an open top 288 into which conventional wooden pallets are positioned. These pallets are constructed generally, as shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings, they are conventional pallets having superimposed spaced horizontal wooden members secured to side member, such as 2 x 4"s allowing forks of a conventional fork lift truck to be positioned between the superimposed wooden members in order to readily locate the truck under the cube of blocks as it is supported or rested on the ground or on a platform of a truck or other surface.

Such pallets are stacked in a vertical stack in superimposed relationship to each other in the magazine 286 and pallet pickup levers 290 and 292 are pivotally mounted on respective bearings 294 and 2% fixed to respective uprights 298 and 308 of the machine frame. These levers 290 and 292 are pivotally coupled to each other by a link 302, shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, and a plunger 304 of a pressure fluid cylinder 306 is coupled to the lever 290 so that both levers 290 and 22 are operable in unison with each other by the pressure fluid cylinder 306. An opposite end of the pressure fluid cylinder 306 from its plunger 304 is pivotally anchored to the frame of the invention in the conventional manner.

The levers 290 and 292 are provided with downwardly extending pickup ends 308 and 310, respectively, which are adapted to be pivoted inwardly and upwardly to engage the pallets 292 in the magazine 286 and to thereby raise the entire stack of pallets above a lowermost one at a level designated 312 in FIG. 10 of the drawings.

It will be seen that when the pressure fluid cylinder 308 is operated to actuate its plunger 354 in a direction as indicated by an arrow 314 that the ends 308 and 310 of the levers 290 and 292 move inwardly and upwardly, thereby engaging the pallet above the level 312 to raise all of the pallets superimposed thereabove and to free the single pallet therebelow. At this time, a pressure fluid cylinder 316 may be energized to move the pallet below the level 312, as will be hereinafter described.

The cylinder 316 is mounted pivotally in connection with the frame of the invention by means of a pin 318 and a plunger 320 of the pressure fluid cylinder 316 is connected by means of a pin 322 to a carriage 324 which is provided with roller trucks 326 and 328 operable in tracks 330 and 332 "beneath the level of the pallet lowermost in the stack and below the level 312.

A pallet engaging dog 334 is pivotally mounted to the truck 324 by means of the pin 336 and this dog 334 is provided with an inclined surface 338 which readily pivots and slides under the stack of pallets when the truck is moving in a direction of an arrow 349, shown in FIG. 10 of the drawings, so that each time the truck moves backward under the stack of pallets, it automatically slides under the lowermost pallet and the dog 334 at its inclined portion 338 pivots under the stack and then as it passes the stack, the dog pivots upwardly into a position, as shown in FIG. 10, wherein a buttress face portion 342 of the dog engages a side of the lowermost pallet so that when the truck 324 is moved in the direction of an arrow 344 that it will retract the lowermost pallet below the level 312 while ends 388 and 310 of the levers 290 and 292 hold the remaining pallets in the magazine upwardly to reduce or aleviate friction between the pallets as the lowermost pallet is moved in the direction of the arrow 344 and slid upon the rollers 254 of the platform 208 of the elevator 23th. Thi operation of loading an unladen pallet onto the platform 203 is accomplished only when the platform 208 is in its lowermost position wherein the peripheries of the rollers 254 are substantially on a plane with the rollers 256 of the conveyor 253 and in such position, the pallet may be moved onto the rollers 254 slidably and longitudinally of their axe so that the pallet assumes the position, as shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings. 

21. IN AN ARTICLE STACKING MACHINE THE COMBINATION OF: A MAIN FRAME; A CONVEYOR ADJACENT SAID MAIN FRAME AND ADAPTED TO DELIVER ARTICLES TO BE STACKED BY SAID MACHINE; A ROLLER PLATFORM DISPOSED ADJACENT A DELIVERY END OF SAID CONVEYOR AND DISPOSED TO RECEIVE ARTICLES DELIVERED FROM SAID CONVEYOR; ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING PERIPHERIES DISPOSED TO RECEIVE ARTICLES FROM SAID CONVEYOR; SAID ROLLER HAVING AXES DISPOSED LATERALLY WITH RELATION TO A DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID CONVEYOR DELIVERS ARTICLES ONTO SAID ROLLERS; FIRST MEANS DISPOSED TO PUSH ARTICLES OFF FROM SAID ROLLER PLATFORM IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF SAID ROLLERS; AN ARTICLE TURNING DEVICE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID ROLLERS; BEARING MEANS ON SAID MAIN FRAME ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID TURNING DEVICE ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS DISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE AXES OF SAID ROLLERS; A PLATE OF SAID TURNING DEVICE ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS AND ALTERNATELY DISPOSABLE IN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL PLANES; A SLIDING DECK HAVING RECEIVING EDGE NEAR SAID ARTICLE TURNING DEVICE; SAID PLATE OF SAID TURNING DEVICE DISPOSED TO BE LOCATED ON SUBSTANTIALLY A COMMON PLANE WITH SAID ROLLER PLATFORM AND SAID SLIDING DECK WHEN IN A HORIZONTAL DISPOSITION, SAID EDGE OF SAID SLIDING DECK DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS OF SAID TURNING DEVICE; AN ELEVATOR VERTICALLY MOVABLE BELOW SAID SLIDING DECK TO RECEIVE LAYERS OF ARTICLES WHEN SAID DECK IS SLID FROM BENEATH SAID ARTICLES; SAID ARTICLE TURNING DEVICE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROLLER PLATFORM AND SAID SLIDING DECK AND DISPOSED TO RECEIVE ARTICLES FROM SAID ROLLER PLATFORM AND TO TIP ARTICLES OVER NINETY DEGREES ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS FROM SAID ROLLER PLATFORM ONTO SAID SLIDING DECK; A CUSHION ROLLER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID TURNING PLATE AND SAID RECEIVING EDGE OF SAID SLIDING DECK WHEREBY ARTICLES TILTED FROM SAID TURNING PLATE WHEN MOVING FROM A HORIZONTAL PLANE TO A VERTICAL PLANE ARE RECEIVED ON SAID CUSHION ROLLER AS THEY SLIDE DOWNWARDLY ON AN INCLINE FROM SAID TURNING PLATE AS IT ROTATES ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS SO THAT THE ARTICLES ARE GENTLY HANDLED AS THEY ARE TILTED OVER ONTO SAID SLIDING DECK PLATE; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PLATE OF SAID ARTICLE TURNING DEVICE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID SLIDING DECK TO SLIDE ARTICLES THEREON WHEN SAID PLATE IS PIVOTALLY DISPOSED ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION; AND MEANS FOR ACCUMMULATING BLOCKS FROM SAID CONVEYOR AND DISPOSING A SINGLE ROW OF SAID BLOCKS ON SAID TURNING MEANS IN A POSITION WHEREIN SAID BLOCKS ARE DISPOSED WITH THEIR VERTICAL CORE OPENINGS ALIGNED VERTICALLY; SAID TURNING MEANS HAVING A LENGTH ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, WHICH LENGTH IS COEXTENSIVE WITH ONE DIMENSION OF A CUBE OF BLOCKS TO BE FORMED; SAID TURNING MEANS HAVING A WIDTH TRANSVERSELY RELATIVE TO SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, WHICH WIDTH IS ONLY SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVE SAID SINGLE ROW OF BLOCKS. 